Behavior and Reproductive Status of Native Female Screwworms Attracted to a Host1

Abstract

Female screwworms, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), responding to wounded hosts, began to feed immediately on the wound exudate, regardless of their stage of ovarian development. Vitellogenic parous females were more abundant than vitellogenic nulliparous females throughout the year. Twenty-eight and 45% of the early and late season females, respectively, completed at least one additional gonotrophic cycle. All parous females were mated. Virgin nulliparous females were 1st captured in Sept. and most (81%) were in the 1st stages of egg development.